Let The Sunshine

While David Williamson’s Let the Sunshine doesn’t have nearly as much bite in terms of social satire as in many of his earlier plays, Adelaide company Galleon Theatre Group’s strong casting and magic touch with edgy comedy ensures an enjoyable production of the play.

Documentary film-maker and left-leaning Toby has career embarrassments to contend with and has escaped Sydney for Noosa with wife Ros. He hasn’t found satisfaction there, either, because the place has changed and now contains exactly the sort of people he detests.

One of life’s milestones means the couple may be getting together with Ros’s former school friend, ‘Stepford Wife’ Natasha and her rich right-wing Sydney property developer husband, Ron.  Toby is not happy about this, as he invariably clashes with Ron over politics and just about everything else. What’s more, the wives only just tolerate each other whenever they meet.

Add in the arrival of Toby and Ros’s struggling musician son, Rick, together with Ron and Natasha’s driven, successful corporate lawyer daughter, Emma and there’s a volatile mix about to explode.

Kym Clayton is very good as irascible Toby, showing both the impatient side of Toby’s character and the soft centre within him when it comes to his concerns for his son’s future. Despite Williamson’s female characters never being written with quite the same depth as the males, Deborah Walsh is terrific as Toby’s wife Ros, giving a natural and completely believable performance.

Andrew Horwood embodies the boorish, market-savvy property developer Ron and delivers some acid and very funny one-liners with impeccable timing. Anita Canala could perhaps make a little more of wife Natasha’s surface superficiality, but produces a very good performance nevertheless.

The adult children are given the script’s most sympathetic treatment, although Williamson contrives the outcome of their relationship rather too predictably. Both actors give fine performances, with Hal Bruce very fine in portraying Rick’s desperation to be taken seriously by music producers.  As Emma, Charlotte Batty matches Hal Bruce’s character development in a strong performance.

The set is simple and Director Vicky Horwood uses it effectively, ensuring good flow and pace in a frequently changing, almost filmic series of vignettes that move between Noosa and Sydney.

Sound design is excellent, as is lighting, costumes, makeup and hairstyling.

Galleon Theatre Group is renowned for its fine productions and this is no exception; very worth braving Adelaide’s chilly nights to experience.

Lesley Reed